1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation console functioning as a user interface and, more specifically, to an operation console having two or more operation devices or one operation device operated by two or more methods of operation, to satisfactorily meet the request of operation by the user. The present invention further relates to electronic equipment and image processing apparatus having such an operation console, as well as to an operation method.
2. Description of the Background Art
As one type of image processing apparatuses as electronic equipment, image forming apparatuses forming images on recording paper (typically, copy machines) are introduced to many places of business (companies and offices). In such a place of business, it has become increasingly common to connect an image forming apparatus having a printer function or a copy function to a network, to allow use (sharing) by a plurality of users. A multifunction peripheral (MFP) as one type of such image forming apparatuses has a plurality of basic modes such as a copy mode, a facsimile mode (hereinafter “facsimile” may also be denoted as FAX or fax), a network-supported printer mode and a scanner mode. In such an image forming apparatus, each user selects a basic mode and sets a function of duplex (two-sided) printing or collective printing (such as 2-in-1 by which two pages of an original document are printed on one sheet, or 4-in-1 by which four pages of an original document are printed on one sheet), whereby images are formed on sheets of paper in a desired manner. Appropriate combinations of these functions come to be more frequently used.
When a user uses such an image forming apparatus, for example, the user inputs image data in the scanner mode, performs image processing (such as collection) by inputting various instructions through an operation panel, and prints the results in the printer mode. In such a situation, the operation panel serving as an operation and display unit functions as an interface between the image forming apparatus and the user. Generally, operation status of each mode is displayed on the operation panel, to allow the user to grasp the operation status mode by mode. In the printer mode that is executed upon reception of data from external equipment, operation status of each function may be displayed in accordance with the data received from the external equipment as a source.
Recently, a touch-panel display having a touch-panel overlapped on a liquid crystal panel comes to be increasingly used as such an operation panel. By way of example, items (software buttons) allowing selection of a mode of the image forming apparatus are displayed on the touch-panel display, the user viewing the display presses a position of an item displayed on the touch-panel display (presses a software button), and the mode is set.
Such a touch-panel display having both the display and operation functions is advantageous in that it eliminates the necessity of providing a display unit and an operation unit separately. Further, since a command can be selected in accordance with a trajectory of pressing by the user's finger, a command can be selected advantageously in accordance with the user's sense. Examples of such command selection using finger trajectory include the following.
Assume, for example, that a plurality of pages are displayed on the touch-panel display as print previews. By a user operation of lightly tapping twice (hereinafter also referred to as double-tapping) a position of a certain page displayed as a preview, the page is displayed enlarged or reduced in size. By a user operation trajectory of expanding a space between two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-out or pinch-open), the page is displayed enlarged in size, and by a user operation trajectory of reducing a space between the two fingers (hereinafter also referred to as pinch-in or pinch-close), the page is displayed reduced in size. In the following, these operations are denoted as gesture operations. The gesture operations are not limited to the above, and may include: tapping, or lightly touching an item displayed on the touch-panel display; dragging, or sliding an item with a finger; flicking, or lightly sweeping an item to scroll; and pinching with two fingers. It is noted that the tapping and double-tapping are not detected by the user operation trajectory on the touch-panel display (determined by detecting not the trajectory but a position). However, since the user's request can be detected by these operations as well, these operations are included in the gesture operations in the present specification.
A user who is accustomed to the operation of hardware buttons (so-called contact buttons) forming a conventional operation unit is not familiar with such operations of the touch-panel display. For instance, the touch-panel display has no movable mechanism and, therefore, a user may feel strange as he/she does not have the sense of pressing an item. Such a user may be puzzled with the operation of touch-panel display.
As a solution to such a problem, an image forming apparatus configured to allow connection of an external, optional keyboard has been known. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-146330 (hereinafter referred to as “'330 Reference”) discloses a display device used for assisting input operations through an external keyboard, when the external keyboard is connected to an image forming apparatus and the external keyboard is operated by a user watching a screen of a display unit of the image forming apparatus.
The display device is provided on an image forming apparatus, and it includes a display unit, an input unit, a detecting unit and a control unit. The display unit displays control items related to an operation of the image forming apparatus. The input unit is for entering inputs related to the control items displayed on the display unit. An external keyboard having a plurality of operation keys is detachably connected to the display device. The detecting unit detects whether or not the external keyboard is connected to the display device. When connection of the external keyboard is detected by the detecting unit, the control unit allocates operation keys of the external keyboard to inputs of control items in accordance with the progress status of operation of the image forming apparatus, and displays characters of the operation keys in association with the control items, on the display unit.
In the display device of the image forming apparatus, when connection of the external keyboard to the image forming apparatus is detected, the operation keys of the external keyboard are allocated to allow inputs related to the control items displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus, in accordance with the progress status of the operation of image forming apparatus. Since the characters of operation keys are displayed on the display unit in correspondence with the control items, even when the operation keys to be operated are changed in response to the progress of operation of the image forming apparatus changes, the characters of the operation keys to be operated can still be displayed on the display unit. This improves user convenience. When connection of the external keyboard is not detected, characters of the operation keys are not displayed on the display unit. Therefore, unnecessary information is not displayed, so that the user may not be confused.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-345506 (hereinafter referred to as “'506 Reference”) discloses a technique related to the gesture operation mentioned above, in which page arrangement is determined in accordance with a trajectory of finger movement of the user who moved the finger while pressing the touch-panel display, when collection of pages is desired while forming images.
In electronic equipment represented by image forming apparatuses and image processing apparatuses, a touch-panel display is provided as an operation console. In consideration of users not familiar with the touch-panel display, external keyboards have been proposed. As can be seen from '330 Reference, a technique of assisting input through the keyboard has also been known.
According to '330 Reference, when the external keyboard is connected, characters of operation keys are displayed on the touch-panel display to facilitate user input. In such a situation, command selection realized by an operation of an operation key (hardware button) of the external keyboard and command selection realized by pressing a software button displayed on the touch-panel display are both effective.
For an image forming apparatus shared by a large number of users, it is desirable to provide a plurality of operation devices (software buttons/hardware buttons) or a plurality of operation methods (gesture operation/non-gesture operation), from the viewpoint of addressing accessibility or user preference related to operations. Such a configuration, however, may impair rather than improve operability, since a plurality of operations are prepared for selecting one command. In addition, when a plurality of operation devices or operation methods are provided in this manner, the number of items displayed on a touch-panel displays becomes excessively large (for example, specific operation keys are displayed in '330 Reference), or the number of transitions between images increases, possibly impairing operability.
In view of the foregoing, it may be possible to set and customize for each user in advance, which of the external keyboard described in '330 Reference and the software button displayed to allow selection on the touch-panel display is to be used with priority. It is troublesome, however, to call a setting image necessary for such customization and to conduct the setting operation.
Since touch-panel displays come to have larger size, it becomes more common to realize conventional hardware buttons by the touch-panel display. Such an approach is advantageous in that the manner of display (positions, colors and shapes of buttons) can be controlled by software. For a user who values the sense of touch at the time of operation or for a user who values visibility (that the same button is always positioned at the same position), software buttons are difficult to operate. Some users may wish to operate only by hardware buttons, while others may wish to operate only by software buttons. In this way, the image forming apparatus and the like are shared by a large number of users having different preferences for operation. It is troublesome in such circumstances to call a setting image for customization of operation method and to conduct the setting operation to meet the preferences in operation of the users.
Further, as described above, the number of touch-panel displays allowing gesture operations is increasing. Such displays are advantageous in that an operation image can be simplified, since menu selection becomes unnecessary and the control items such as buttons arranged on the image can be reduced. For a user not accustomed to the gesture operation method, however, it may be difficult to find an operation method to realize a requested function. Such gesture operations may not always be possible by a physically handicapped user. Considering such situations, it is desirable to provide the conventional menu type operation method that does not involve any gesture operation. If the gesture operation method and the conventional menu type operation method are both employed, however, the number of components on an image increases, possibly impairing user convenience. In order to avoid such a problem, it is possible to call a setting image necessary for customizing the operation method and to conduct the setting operation. Setting, however, is troublesome.